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> Americans [...] have bought into the narrative that wearing masks is fascism They're not wrong. Enacting pro-social policies that restrict most individuals i

> Americans [...] have bought into the narrative that wearing masks is fascism They're not wrong. Enacting pro-social policies that restrict most individuals in small ways—but benefit society-as-a-whole in large ways—is one of the core things Fascists did that was actually effective at improving lives—just like forcing everyone to wear masks in the United States would also be effective at improving lives. So yeah, Fascists would absolutely have forced individuals to wear masks for the good of everyone—but that doesn't make the policy "bad", it's just one of the rare policy areas where Fascists tend to get good results. The actual problem is that people today believe literally anything Fascists would have done is, by definition, "bad/wrong/evil." That kind of simplistic thinking is all too common.

greedo 6y ago
Yes, they are. Societies of all stripes and sorts restrict individuals in small ways. Just because fascism restricts individual freedoms doesn't mean that all restrictions are a symptom of fascism. Conflating mask requirements with fascism is to ignore the real history and motivations behind fascist movements.
- erichocean 6y ago
  You seem to be confusing the idea that something "is a Fascist policy" with the idea that something "is ONLY a Fascist policy." Lots of similar policies are promoted by seemingly different forms of government. Even the most cursory inspection of our world today (or history) is sufficient to demonstrate this point. Forcing individuals to wear masks is absolutely something Fascists would do, and they would do so for 100% ideological reasons, so the statement "forcing people to wear masks is a Fascist policy" is 100% accurate. It's also a current US policy, a current communist policy, etc. etc. so it's clearly not limited just to Fascists.
  - greedo 6y ago
    Your "explanation" is complete nonsense. If a policy (mask wearing) is widely mandated by Socialist, Communist, Fascist, Liberal Democrats etc, then calling it 'fascist' has no value or meaning as an adjective or identifier. The reason people of intelligence come up with different terms is to differentiate between political movements. And no, it isn't "current US policy" whatever that would mean. There's no Federal law requiring it, and many states explicitly prohibit requiring it; for example, Nebraska blocks cities and counties from receiving funds if they refuse to provide service to people who refuse masks. And how do you know Fascists would do so for 100% ideological reasons? You have this simplistic boogeyman idea of fascism. Fascists don't want to die from COVID-19 any more than anyone else does. The mask issue really shows both how anti-science people are, and how easy it is for people to politicize a simple method for fighting disease. Do you object to laws preventing you from dumping your raw sewage in the street? Fascism at work!

greedo 6y ago

Yes, they are. Societies of all stripes and sorts restrict individuals in small ways. Just because fascism restricts individual freedoms doesn't mean that all restrictions are a symptom of fascism. Conflating mask requirements with fascism is to ignore the real history and motivations behind fascist movements.

erichocean 6y ago
You seem to be confusing the idea that something "is a Fascist policy" with the idea that something "is ONLY a Fascist policy." Lots of similar policies are promoted by seemingly different forms of government. Even the most cursory inspection of our world today (or history) is sufficient to demonstrate this point. Forcing individuals to wear masks is absolutely something Fascists would do, and they would do so for 100% ideological reasons, so the statement "forcing people to wear masks is a Fascist policy" is 100% accurate. It's also a current US policy, a current communist policy, etc. etc. so it's clearly not limited just to Fascists.
- greedo 6y ago
  Your "explanation" is complete nonsense. If a policy (mask wearing) is widely mandated by Socialist, Communist, Fascist, Liberal Democrats etc, then calling it 'fascist' has no value or meaning as an adjective or identifier. The reason people of intelligence come up with different terms is to differentiate between political movements. And no, it isn't "current US policy" whatever that would mean. There's no Federal law requiring it, and many states explicitly prohibit requiring it; for example, Nebraska blocks cities and counties from receiving funds if they refuse to provide service to people who refuse masks. And how do you know Fascists would do so for 100% ideological reasons? You have this simplistic boogeyman idea of fascism. Fascists don't want to die from COVID-19 any more than anyone else does. The mask issue really shows both how anti-science people are, and how easy it is for people to politicize a simple method for fighting disease. Do you object to laws preventing you from dumping your raw sewage in the street? Fascism at work!